When the cast, made up of local 8 to 12 year olds, took their final bow at the end of the show, the parents sitting in the audience agreed that it was a success. They were happy to see what their children had learned in only five days.

Students perform a scene as part of “Intergalactic Space Trip.” (Photo by Beth Liggett/APSU Public Relations and Marketing)

“They spent the week learning different songs, designing costumes and some scenery and props and learning some different rhythm instruments to accompany themselves,” JoAnn McIntosh, CSA coordinator, said. “And they pretty much came up with the story line on their own.”

Shortly before Friday’s performance, Briana Larsen, the camp’s artistic director, busied herself backstage, making sure everyone was in costume and that they remembered their lines. Larsen, a senior in vocal performance at APSU, has worked in musical theater since she was in elementary school, and she regularly performs in the University’s opera productions.

Last December, she gave her senior recital, which was the culmination of her years of hard work at APSU. She had to perform works in Italian, French and German, in addition to complex pieces in English, for that program, and she applied this requirement to her young students at the day camp.

“All week we’ve done research on different countries around the world, and the kids have learned a song from each country in its native language,” Larsen said. “They’ve divided into groups and written skits about the different countries. All of this has pretty much been done by the kids.”

The 14 students in the inaugural camp crafted the “Intergalactic Space Trip” musical about a school class of alien children studying the different planets. In the 15-minute play, the alien children are specifically focused on the planet Earth.

“They helped with the choreography, they designed their masks, made rain sticks, helped with T-shirts,” she said. “It’s been a blast.”

Moments before the curtain rose, someone asked the group of young actors if they’d enjoyed themselves that week. A collective “yes” rang out from their eager mouths, while a few stragglers appeared from the dressing rooms to reaffirm this enthusiasm.

McIntosh said the camp’s success will likely make it an annual summer event on the APSU campus. The CSA was founded in 1990 with the goal of promoting and increasing awareness of the arts throughout the surrounding area. The program serves approximately 350 students of all ages and skill levels through programs in music, dance and the visual arts.

For information on other CSA programs, visit www.apsu.edu/csa.

The performance, which begins at 7:30pm on April 25th in the APSU Music/Mass Communication Building, will feature noted composers’ musical interpretations of the four different seasons, with works being sung in English, Chinese, Japanese, French, Italian, Spanish and German.

The concert will open with American Composer Joshua Shank’s “Autumn” – a piece of music meant to soothe our pains and fears. That work then leads into a set of winter-themed pieces by Claude Debussy, Edward Elgar and Jean-Baptiste Lully.

“The set for winter is pretty dramatic music,” Korre Foster, director of choral activities at APSU, said. “The Debussy is difficult with its moving passages and harmonies. ‘The Snow’ by Elgar incorporates two violins with the women’s voices, so he brings out all the drama of string playing, along with the female voice, to show the drama of winter.”

Lully’s “Freezing Chorus” is actually an opera chorus, and it requires the men to sing every quarter note as an eighth note in order to mimic the season’s cold temperatures.

“It makes the gentlemen seem that they are actually shivering while they sing,” Foster said. “There’s just built in drama to the music, especially the winter.”

The program turns somewhat lighter for the next set, which includes pieces by composers William Hawley, Chen Yi and Camille Saint-Saens.

“Hawley’s ‘Io son la primavera’ and Saint-Saëns’ ‘Les fleurs’ are in Italian and French, and they show the development of spring,” Foster said. “You can almost see flowers popping up and slowly blooming, the way the compositions are written.”

The concert will end with summer-themed works by composers Jan Sandström, Morten Lauridsen and Ro Ogura. The first two pieces of that set – ‘Es ist ein’ and ‘La rose complète’ – will also feature dance performances by members of the APSU dance department. Then, the choir will take up Ogura’s “Hotaru Koi.”

“That piece is in Japanese, and it’s a fun piece for summer because it’s about fireflies,” Foster said. “The way it’s composed, you can literally hear the fireflies bouncing around your head.”

The concert, which is free and open to the public, will also include two APSU graduate students as guest conductors. For more information on “The Seasons” performance, contact the APSU Department of Music at 931-221-7818.

The business is locally owned and operated by cousins Julie Rhoads and Maryellen Katz, which is appropriate because Ragazza means “girl” in Italian. The restaurant employees 12 people, many of them also female.

Ragazza Pizza Co-owners Julie Rhoads and Maryellen Katz

Ragazza Pizza offers a wide selection of Gourmet Pizzas including the Philly, 1 pulled pig (BBQ), Bacon cheese burger, Taco, Garden of Eden (Vegetarian), and the seafood rich Neptune Pizza which features seasoned shrimp and scallops. For those who are looking for something different they have a selection of incredibly tasty pastas in individual or family sizes.

They also offer custom built pizzas to your specifications, with the option of three different types of crusts: regular, Garlic, and whole wheat. They offer 6 different sauces; along with huge selection of meats, cheeses, and vegetables.

You have the choice between pickup and delivery (in the south Clarksville area). It is important to note that most items must receive additional cooking before you can eat it.

Come by check them out, and grab one of their take out menus. I know after you try their food you will be a repeat customer, like I know I will be.

Julie wanted to thank Ellen and Danny at First Federal Savings Bank for their assistance for arranging the financing for the business loans.

If you have any questions give Ragazza Pizza a call at (931) 648-8282, and be sure to let them know that you heard about them via Clarksville Online.